Snippets
by RaversAnthem
Summary: Flashes of Chloe and Derek s life as they reach a pivotal moment in their lives. Set to "Out of My League" by Stephen Speaks.


_It's her hair and her eyes today__  
><em>_that just simply take me away,__  
><em>_and the feeling that I'm falling further in love__  
><em>_makes me shiver, but in a good way._

Derek stopped at the top of the stairs, staring down at Chloe. She stood at the small mirror that hung in the front hall of the small rental home they lived in. She was fiddling with her dark hair, putting it this way and that as if she couldn't decide which way looked best. He stood and watched her quietly for a minute before she finally noticed him in the reflection. Her eyes met his in the glass and she smiled.

"Ready to go?" she asked, turning to meet him as he came down.

"Yes." Derek replied. She smiled and turned to open the door, but he caught her wrist and pulled her back. She looked up, questioning with her eyes and Derek took a moment to just look into them. "You look good." Chloe blushed. For Derek, such small words were a big compliment. He dropped her arm and motioned to the door. "Ready?"

"Yes..."

_All the times I have sat and stared__  
><em>_as she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair,__  
><em>_and she purses her lips,__  
><em>_bats her eyes and she plays with me__  
><em>_sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say,__  
><em>_cause I love her with all that I am__._

"_Please_, Derek? Please!" Chloe tugged on Derek's hand, looking up pleadingly at him.

Derek sighed and shook his head, "No, Chloe, I told you. There's going to be too many people there. Someone might recognize you, it's not sa—" He stopped abruptly as she pursed her lips. He knew what was coming next and counted to three before her nose scrunched up, just slightly, in frustration. He mentally counted to five and she tucked hair behind her ears and then...

Chloe batted her big, blue eyes up at him. "Please, Derek?" she asked softly.

_Ugh._

How could anyone take such a look? Derek sighed. "Fine, but—"

Chloe didn't even wait for an answer as she bounded into his arms, pressing herself tightly to him. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she let out in a rush. "I'll go change, and then we can go. I already asked Kit, and he said as long as you were fine with it, we could go." She grinned, her smile nothing but victorious, "Be right back!"

Derek watched her go, and all he could do was stare.

She'd _known_ that would work. He'd been played. He sighed, shaking his head. He turned towards the kitchen to tell his Dad they would be going to the fair only to find Simon standing in the doorway, a big grin plastered across his face. Derek scowled as Simon walked through the room. His brother slapped him on the back and left without saying a word.

Could everyone see what she did to him?

_And my voice shakes along with my hands,__  
><em>_cause she's all that I see, and she's all that I need,__  
><em>_and I'm out of my league once again._

"CHLOE!" Derek bellowed as she slammed wickedly into the street post. She slumped to the ground and red filled his vision. He looked down at the gun that stared him in the face, and didn't hesitate. He grabbed it before the second mugger could blink and tossed it down the alley the two men had appeared from. The man, surprised, stepped back, but he wasn't fast enough. Derek grabbed his arm and_ snap,_ it was broken. The man howled and Derek's fist flew, connecting with the man's temple so hard he flew a few feet before landing, unconscious, on the ground.

He looked at the second man, who had a lot more reason to be more terrified than the first. He tried running, but Derek caught up with him easily. He slammed the man's head into the side of the nearest building as hard as he could. He didn't even stop to bother checking if the man was unconscious or dead, just hurried back to Chloe.

"Chloe?" he gently probed her head where it had hit the pole. He didn't smell and blood or feel any obvious breaks. "Chloe?" he pulled her into his arms and cradled her a moment. "Chloe, please, wake up." His plea was met with silence. He glanced around; no one else was on the road with them. It was too late. "Chloe, come on. Wake up." His voice was gruff this time, and he ignored the fact that his hand shook as he touched her face. She was still breathing, but that didn't mean she—

"Oooooo, my head hurts." She murmured, opening her big, blue eyes slowly.

Derek's grip tightened on her and the breath he'd been holding rushed out in a great gust. "You're all right?"

"Yes." She smiled and touched his face reassuringly. "You're here."

_It's a masterful melody,__  
><em>_when she calls out my name to me.__  
><em>_As the world spins around her she laughs, rolls her eyes,__  
><em>_and I feel like I'm falling but it's no surprise.__  
><em>_cause I love her with all that I am,__  
><em>_and my voice shakes along with my hands,__  
><em>_cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea__  
><em>_but I'd rather be here than on land.__  
><em>_Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need__  
><em>_and I'm out of my league once again._

Simon reached out quickly to grab Chloe, but Chloe caught him and spun on him. She grabbed his wrist before he caught hers and twisted. Simon tried to slip from her hold but she caught his leg with hers and pushed him off balance. He went down with an _oomph_ onto his back. A pause, and then he grinned at her.

Delighted, Chloe turned to where Derek sat, a big grin that seemed to say _I did it, I did it_ written all over her face. Her smile was contagious and he found himself giving a small smile back even as his chest filled with pride at her success.

"Think I'm ready to try the big guns?" she teased, crossing the yard to where he sat.

It took him a moment to realize what she was suggesting—that she take on him next.

She grinned haughtily, "I don't know..." her eyes raked over him, "I think I could take you."

He growled, half-mockingly, half-serious, at the challenge and without warning tackled her to the ground. They wrestled playfully until Chloe was completely out of breath.

"I—" _Pant._ "I give up!" His smirk was victorious as he rested over her. Her face was flushed and she was still breathing heavily. He could hear her heart beating rapidly beneath him. He leaned down, and her eyes fluttered closed. He inhaled deeply and—

"Get a room!" They snapped apart at Simon's voice. For a moment, they'd forgotten he was in the yard with them. Unluckily for them, Simon wasn't about to let them forget it.

_It's her hair and her eyes today,__  
><em>_that just simply take me away,__  
><em>_and the feeling that I'm falling further in love__  
><em>_makes me shiver but, in a good way.__  
><em>_All the times I have sat and stared__  
><em>_as she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair,__  
><em>_and she purses her lips, bats her eyes and she plays__  
><em>_with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say,__  
><em>_cause I love her with all that I am._

Chloe darted out of the way as he pounced. Derek turned to her and mocked growled, revelling in the laughter that followed. He wiggled his haunches, and then pounced again. She screamed as she went down, landing in the bed of leaves that littered the forest floor. He stood over her, panting and watching as she smiled up at him. She reached up and buried her hands in the ruff of fur around his neck. Her hands were cold and her growled at her for forgetting her gloves. She grinned brightly.

"But if I had my gloves, I wouldn't be able to use you." She reasoned.

Derek snorted. If she liked his wolfy characteristics... he bent low and bathed her face with his tongue. She screeched and pulled her hands from his fur, and pushing at his muzzle, trying to get him to stop.

"Derek, Derek! Derek!" she cried in between giggles, pushing at him with all her might. "If you wanted to—" Lick. Giggle. Push. "—to kiss me, you should Change back!" Derek stopped, tongue lolling in an unusually canine expression for him before he bounded back to the clearing where he'd left his clothing. Chloe took the time to wipe her face and then waited. When he didn't come back in the time it usually took him she sat up, staring at where he's disappeared. "Derek?" There was no response. She waited more, in case he was just taking longer than he usually did and called again. Still, there was no answer. She'd just gotten to her feet and crossed to where the clearing was when something bowled into her. She hit the ground with an _oomph_ and glared up at Derek, now fully human and looming above her. "Der—" he cut her off when he pressed his lips to her possessively.

_And my voice shakes along with my hands__  
><em>_cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea,__  
><em>_but I'd rather be here than on land.__  
><em>_Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need__  
><em>_and I'm out of my league once again._

Derek wiped his hands nervously on his pants. He'd done it three or four times now, and Chloe caught his hands in her own, smiling reassuringly.

"Don't be so nervous!"

"I can't help it." He grumbled.

"It's only your Dad, Aunt Lauren, Simon, and Tori."

"Yea, but I've never exactly had to announce—"

"Announce what, Bro?" Simon asked as he entered the living room where Chloe had asked everyone to meet them.

"You have to wait until everyone's here." Derek replied gruffly.

"Fine." Simon dropped himself down onto the couch and made himself comfortable, which only made Derek fidget more. Moments later Kit entered, followed closely by Aunt Lauren. Then they were only waiting for Tori, who, as usual, took her own time getting there.

"So what's this whole 'family meeting' thing about?" Tori asked as she threw herself into one of the armchairs.

"We have an announcement." Chloe declared.

"Well, duh, we figured out that much." Derek stiffened and Chloe threw a glare Tori's way. She threw her hands up in surrender and settled back in her chair.

"Derek?" Chloe nudged him.

Derek took in his family, sitting and watching them expectantly. He took a deep breath and looked at his father. The look in his eyes said he already knew what Derek was going to say, and somehow that made it easier.

"We... Chloe and I... We're getting married."


End file.
